Briquetting machine



Dec. 16, 1952 A- STILLMAN I 2,621,364

BRIQUETTING MACHINE Filed May 22, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR ALBERT L. STILLMAN BY MM) ATTORNEY Dec. 16, 1952 Filed May 22, 1951 A. L. STILLMAN BRIQUEITTING MACHINE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IN VENTOR ALBERT L. STILLMAN Mmv/w pm/ ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 16, 1952 BRIQUETTIN G MACHINE Albert L. Stillman, New York, N. Y., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Fuel Research Corporation, New York, N.

Y., a corporation of Delaware Application May 22, 1951, Serial No. 227,691

9 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to a briquette press, for example, of the general type illustrated by the patent to Zwoyer, No. 1,627,222, May 3, 1927. In such presses the material to be briquetted is fed into an open mold over the bite of the press rolls. Difliculties are encountered with presses of this character occasioned by difierences in weight of various materials placed in the feed hopper of the press. For instance, a heavy mass of material in the hopper creates a greater pressure acting against the bite of the rolls than a relatively lighter material. Such heavy pressures frequently produce overfeeding with resultant stalling of the press operation and result in breakage of the shafts on which the briquette rolls are carried.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a construction in which the pressure of the material in the hopper upon the bite of the feed rolls, regardless of the mass of such material, is maintained substantially uniform at all times.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction wherein an operator of the press will be enabled to ascertain the optimum pressure at which the press can be operated and in this manner avoid overieeding.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a construction in which the control of the pressure exerted upon the bite of the rolls by the mass of material in the hopper is entirely automatic.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational section of the invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

In the accompanying drawings the briquette press has a base l upon which is mounted a suitable roll frame H carrying the shafts I2 for the briquetting rollers 13. The shafts [2 are mounted in bearing blocks M which are slidably mounted upon the frame H and are normally urged toward each other by the coil springs IS.

The material to be briquetted is placed in a hopper I6 having a bottom opening I! adopted to be partially or completely closed by a gate IS. The material from the hopper I6 is fed through a mold or spout I9 into the bite between the rolls [3, as shown at 20.

The gate l8 includes two horizontal slidable plates 2| and 22, respectively, which are conview partly in nected to piston rods 23-24 and are reciprocated by means of the air cylinders 25. Actuation of the air cylinders will serve to either entirely close the opening H by bringing the plates 2I22 in abutting relation or the opening between the plates may be controlled to any desired size, as shown at 26. I

In operation of previous presses, where a heavy mass of material is being briquetted, the excessive pressure at the bite of the rolls 20 frequently causes the rolls to separate or spread apart and ultimately such overfeed will result in stalling of the press and in some cases, actually re sult in breaking the shafts I2 on which the rolls are carried. In the present invention, the bearing blocks I 4 are provided with outwardly ex tending projections or rods 27 which reciprocate in and are guided in openings 23 in the frame I I. When the rolls [3 are forced apart a predetermined distance, by the pressure of material in the hopper, the end of one of the rods 2'! engages a limit switch 29 which, in turn, automatically actuates the air cylinders 25 and moves the gates 2l-22 toward each other to either entirely close the opening H! or reduce its size, as shown at 26. At the same time, when the connecting rod 24 moves inwardly, it automatically opens a gate 30 hingedly mounted at 3! on the side of the hopper by actuating the lever 32, which is connected to the piston rod 24 at one end and to the gate 30 at its other end. When the gate 30 is open, material can pass out of the hopper through the opening 33 and be received upon a suitable conveyor or other means for transfer back to the hopper, as required. The discharge of material through the opening 33 will relieve the pressure of material in the hopper upon the bite of the rolls to assist in avoiding the difficulties above-explained. When the pressure returns to normal, the springs l5 urge the rolls back to their optimum briquette-forming relation and the rod 21, being disengaged from the limit switch 29, the air cylinders withdraw the gates 2l-22 to the desired open position and return the gate 30 of the hopper to its closed or partially closed position,

Mounted on the frame II is a gauge 33 which is connected in any suitable manner to one or both of the springs I5 so as to, at all times, indicate the pressure exerted upon the springs during the briquetting operation. By referring to this gauge, the operator of the press can control the feed into the hopper l6 whereby the weight of the mass of material upon the bite of the briquette rolls at any time will be always uniform and avoid spreading of the rolls.

Such control is assisted by the adjustment screws 34 which engage the slidable bearing blocks 14 on their inner faces 35 as shown. This allows the pressure exerted by the springs 15 on the bearing blocks Hi to be adjusted for optimum conditions of briquetting materials of differing mass and at the same time, permits adjustment in case of wear on the rolls. It will be noted that the adjusting screws 34 are threadedly mounted in depending lugs 36 which are welded or otherwise secured to the frame 1 I.

It will be appreciated that in operating the present invention, if there be excess pressure of material in the hopper IE exerted upon the bite of the rolls l3, the latter will slide apart inppposite directions, whereupon the gate 39 in the side of the hopper will be automatically opened while the gates 2l-22 in the bottom of the hopper will be automatically brought to a closed or partially closed position. Also, when the excess pressure is relieved, the gates 2l22 will automatically resume their normal open position, and the gate 30 will also simultaneously return to its normal closed position. By reference to the gauge 33 and the adjustment screws 34, the operator can assure that the rolls i3 will be properly positioned with respect to each other so as to at all times perform their optimum briquetting function regardless of the mass of the material. When, however, the pressure exceeds the lire-determined value, the rod 21 is moved outwardly by reason of the spreading of the rolls l3, to actuate the gate 38 and the gates 2|-22. Hence, at no time is there any danger of stalling the briquetting operation or straining the roll shafts since the latter are carried by' the slidably mounted bearing blocks M which will move outwardly in opposite directions when the pressure exceeds a pre-determined limit at the bite of the rolls.

Iclaim:

I. In a briquetting machine having a pair of cooperating briquetting rolls and a hopper feeding material directly to the bite of said rolls, means for slidably supporting the rolls, and means for controlling the feed to the bite of said rolls from the hopper and actuated when the pressure of the material at the bite of the rolls causes. the rolls to slide apart, said means comprising. a gate on said hopper and having means operated by the movement of said rolls to reduce the mass of the material. upon the bite of said rolls.

2. In a briquetting press according to claim 1 wherein there is provided resilient means normally urging the rolls toward each other.

3. In a briquetting press according to claim 1 4 wherein there is provided resilient means normally urging the rolls toward each other and means for adjusting the pressure exerted by said resilient means on the rolls.

4. In a briquetting press according to claim 1 wherein the rolls are carried in slidably mounted bearing blocks, one of said bearing blocks having an outwardly extending rod, and means mounted for engagement by said rod when the rolls slide apart for actuating the said means for controlling the feed to the rolls.

5. In a briquetting press according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a gate in the side of the hopper, said gate being actuated by said controlling means to opened and closed positions.

6. In a briquetting press according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a pair of oppositely sliding gates at the bottom opening of the hopper, said gates being moved toward each other upon actuation of said controlling means to partially or completely close the bottom opening of the hopper.

'7. In a briquetting press according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a gate in the side of the hopper, and wherein there is provided a pair of oppositely sliding gates at the bottom opening of the hopper, said last-mentioned gates being moved toward each other, and said gate in the side of the hopper being moved to open position upon actuation of said controlling means.

8. In a briquetting press according to claim 1 wherein the rolls are carried in slidably mounted bearing blocks, one of said bearing blocks having an outwardly extending rod, and a limit switch mounted for engagement by said rod when the rolls slide apart, air cylinders operable upon engagement of said rod and limit switch, a gate in the side of the hopper and a pair of gates in the bottom opening of the hopper connected to the piston rods of said air cylinders, said gate in the side of the hopper being moved to open position and said gates in the bottom of the hopper being moved to closed position upon operation of said air cylinders.

9. In a briquetting press according to claim 1 wherein there is provided resilient means normally urging the rolls toward each other and a gauge associated with said resilient means for indicating the pressure exerted thereby on said.

rolls.

ALBERT L. STILLMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are: of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,164,657 Mashek Dec. 21, 1915 2,455,980 Dallas et al Dec. 14,, 1948 

